Great grandfather Hugh Fox served with the Royal Artillery 53th Brigade, served in the Indian Mutiny for which he received a Gold Medal. He was born in 1832 in either Paisley or Glasgow. Been trying to trace both the medal and any information on him.

Much further back on the maternal side, Sir Hector Maclean K.C.B.E. Royal Engineers. Again not able to conclusively trace anything.

My Great-Uncle Jimmie McCarthy was one of only two men killed on November 9, 1942, when their Liberty Ship, Edgar Allen Poe, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the cost of New Claedonia, Noumea, New Zealand. His body was never recovered. He was posthumously awarded the Mariner's Merit Medal.

My ancestor Thomas Davis (Davis-32839) won the Waterloo Medal. He fought at the Battle of Quatre-Bras, just before Waterloo, and was almost certainly wounded, as the percentage of soldiers lost of wounded was immense. If Quatre-Bras had been lost, so would have been Waterloo. It was for this that the Quatre-Bras veterans were also awarded the Waterloo Medal.

"[Triple] Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Rank and Organization: Captain, 11th U.S. Infantry. Place and Date: At Wilderness; Spotsylvania; Petersburg, Va., 1864. Entered Service At: Illinois. Birth: Washington, D.C. Date of Issue: 2 May 1891. Citation: Gallantry in actions. He died on February 24, 1903 and was buried in Section 3 of a National Cemetery.). Burial: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County Virginia, USA Plot: Section 3 Lot 1371-SS" [Arlington National Cemetery Web Page] "Book: Hero of the Republic: The Biography of Triple Medal of Honor Winner, James Madison Cutts, Jr. by Bing G. Spitler Hero of the Republic is the biography of triple Medal of Honor winner, James Madison Cutts, Jr. A gallant officer on the staff of General Ambrose E. Burnside, Madison was court-martialed for looking at a woman undressing in a hotel, publicly disgraced, and sentenced to be dismissed from the service. President Lincoln, seeing treachery and jealousy in his court-martial, gave him a personal reprimand and sent him back to his unit with the Army of the Potomac. Determined to regain his honor or die trying, Madison distinguished himself at the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg to such a degree that he was universally acclaimed as a hero of the Republic. For conspicuous gallantry in battle, he was awarded a triple Medal of Honor." [White Mane Publishing Co.; (June 18, 2001), ISBN: 1572492228] “Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army: Born in Washington, D.C. in 1838 he earned the Medal of Honor during the Civil War while serving as Captain, 11th United States Infantry, at The Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Petersburg, Virginia, in 1864. The Medal was actually issued on May 2, 1891. He died on February 24, 1903 and was buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery. His grandson [? – James Madison Cutts III was his son according to Hero of the Republic: Triple Medal of Honor Winner James Madison Cutts, Jr., by Bing G. Spitler; Burd Street Press, 2001.], James Madison Cutts III (April 5, 1891-June 8, 1951)

Robert Harrison Bolton was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in World War II. Bolton-2281. I'm still trying to figure out how to add that as a tag to his profile but I can't find it.

To answer the question more, I have a bunch of generals as well from Rev War, War of 1812, and the Civil War (CSA). Here is part of the bio on Robert Bolton.

(He) enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1937 and became a medical corpsman stationed in Hawaii. Returned to Baltimore in November 1941 but after the attack at Pearl Harbor reenlisted. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943 (the highest flight decoration) for an extremely difficult mission over Italy and he attained the rank of captain. Then worked briefly for Capitol Airlines; coordinated troop transportation from Fort Meade.

As far as what was the highest honor received by one of your ancestors, my answer would be:

SGM Augustus Barry who served in the American Civil War in the 16th U.S. Infantry for the Union Army. He received the Medal of Honor on February 28, 1870 for his actions in Tennessee and Georgia during the war. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Barry-1904

No military honours other than the 1914 star for my G Uncle who was one of the Old Contemptibles but sadly didn't survive that year dying at the end of October.

My husband's father was an Army Chaplain in WW2 and was in the field in Italy and in the Desert. He was obviously non combatant. He survived to tell the tale (but didn't ) He received an MBE for his part.

But you know when I read the service records of the ordinary young men who enlisted in 1914 and 15, the thing that always strikes is how small they were (height weight chest size ). I suspect many came from very poor backgrounds and were malnourished as children.They responded to the pleas of Kitchener et al 'Your Country needs You' but they hadn't the foggiest idea of why they were fighting nor the horrendous conditions and danger they would encounter,

The young ex grammar and public school recruits who became their officers might have better fed and better educated but they also fell for the 'old lie' .

Not a direct ancestor, not the highest honour received, but my great gran had a Russian Order of Saint Anna with swords (like the below), which she believed had been awarded to her grandmother's brother-in-law, Sergei Sergeevich Somov.
However, in 2012, construction workers in Saint Petersburg unearthed a pre-revolutionary treasure trove, found in a derelict palace during restoration works. To our amazement Sergei's medal - along with his certificate - was part of that trove.
So, We've no idea who great-gran's medal was actually awarded to.

Yesterday Laura and I were contacted by someone whose great uncle had served in Captain Philp's company during the capture of Meteren (part of the Battles of Lys) on 19-22 July 1918. Sadly, his great uncle was wounded on the 19th and died of hie wounds on the 22nd. His great uncle was posthumously promoted to Lance Corporal and awarded the Military Medal.

Glad to hear that, Bart. And thank you for your service. It was a horrible war, but in no way was that due to guys like you. (I was a kid during the war, watching it unfold on television every night. I joined the Navy in 1976, and many of my classmates questioned why I would enlist on the heels of that war. I just wanted to serve, and really have no other explanation.)

My 2nd great grandfather’s older brother David MacKay was awarded the Victoria Cross for action in India in 1857.

Victoria Cross Citation, from the London Gazette, 24 December 1858:

For great personal gallantry in capturing an enemy colour after a most obstinate resistance, at the Secundrabagh, Lucknow, on the 16th of November 1857. He was severely wounded afterwards at the capture of the Shah Nujjif.

David MacKay was with the 93rd Highlanders in India and earlier in the Crimea where he was part of the “Thin Red Line”

My great grandfather Engr. Capt W.R.Apps RN was given the Royal Victorian order by the Prince of Wales in 1909 for Services rendered on his royal visit to India on HMS Renown.

My grandfather , Lieutenent Cuthbert Blake RN commanded a destroyer at the battle of Jutland. He was awarded the DSO (Distinguished Service Order) for his Actions. He also received the Royal Russian Order of St. Anne from the Tsar.

My father's unit, the 320th Bomb Group, USAAF, flew with the 12th Air Force in the Mediterranean theater. They got a unit citation for the Croix de Guerre, with palm, for action in preparation for and in support of Allied offensive operations in central Italy, April through June 1944. My Dad used to have a copy. They also had a couple of Distinguished Unit Citations for operations in northern Italy and ins support of the invasion of southern France.
No individual awards, though, so far as I can remember, for S/SGT Walter D. Ashley.